With pop-ups showing clips of music videos and links to band websites posted all over the internet, the days of plastering posters on billboards has further evolved. Alot of artists are finding that by joining websites such as Facebook and Twitter it is a clever marketing strategy as fans feel that they are being let in to the private lives of their favourite artists. Twitter has been increasingly successful with the artists of today, as they can ask questions to their followers in order to achieve a satisfied result.
Looking at two artists, one that relies on the internet to access their fans and one that uses the old-fashioned approach.
Alot of artists nowadays use the internet to promote their albums, but an artist that can thank her fame down to the internet is artist Lily Allen.
Lily Allen was an undiscovered artist who had uploaded demos of her music on networking site MySpace. Lilly was recieving tens of thousands of views for her songs, she signed with record label Regal recordings, the record label were extremely happy when the artist's first song 'LDN' sold over 500 limited edition Vinyl copies meaning her fanbase was strengthening and growing all the time. Allen started producing mixtapes of her work in order to further promote herself.
While becoming increasingly more popular on MySpace, with her views becoming larger than ever, this was when 'Observer Music Monthly' took a keen interest on the young artist, who wrote an article about her in their magazine. This gave her huge media converage as she was entering the world of mainstream media widening her fanbase.
Lilly's branding even as an unsigned artist, was that of a rebellion. Within her music she created a unique sound with her lyrics expressing her controversial opinions, meaning that she had more creative control within the production of her new album. Her image was kept, as they spotted a niche within the market, and Lilly was filling that niche.
Simular to our chosen artist, Jose Vanders (who also has a music account on MySpace) where the broadcasting and publication of her unsigned music is also widely appreciated. However, Jose is yet unsigned.
Lilly started an online blog aswell, which let her fans look into what can be called an 'Online Diary'. Keeping her fans up to date with her current emotions and projects, this is an effective marketing startegy to give her fans an extra insight to the artist and her music.
Ms. Allen has gone on to have more success, winning numerous amounts of awards and selling large units of her album; 'Alright Still' in both UK and US.
Even broadening her appeal, as Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld asked her to appear in a Chanel ad Campaign. Not bad for a north londoner who found fame on MySpace.
Lilly has proven that how much of an impact the internet can have on someones career, it is easily accessible to everyone which is why it is a highly effective way to gain attention before being signed to a record label. The internet can largely allow musicians to gain a fanbase, and therefore proving popularity to a record label, and giving artists more creative control rather than being moulded by their record label.
An artist however that used the old-fashioned route, was young pop teen superstar Britney Spears. She may not be the fresh Faced popstar we saw in 1999, but she is a fine example of how travelling to a record label and singing infront of them and sending vocals over recorded tape by post can lead to ultimate success.
Britney Spears was signed to Jive Records in 1997 and her first album appeared within 2 years, selling record breaking amounts of units. Britney used different ways of promoting herself which included no use of the new Online Revolution.
Britney used magazine articles that were within magazines all over the world
Touring was also a successful way for Britney Spears to introduce her fans with songs from her new album
and Endorsement deals also helped when it came to promoting herself, as her image was known through her music and for the products she was promoting.
Pepsi was the most famous, which was a drink that was available to everyone therefore making Britney's fanbase and awareness grow larger.
Britney Spears is an example of how using conventional methods of having your music heard and recognised can also be successful, but however with this new method available it is now easier than ever before to have your talent recognised. If Britney was releasing herself in the year 2011, it is very likely she would also fall under the trap of the Online Revolution.
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